MILF and MNLF leaders travel to Northern Ireland to learn about peace processes, acknowledging there are no easy solutions.

Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), two Moro revolutionary groups who now hold positions in the Bangsamoro Government, have visited Northern Ireland to learn how to best handle the peace process currently underway in central and southern Philippines. The trip was arranged by international peacebuilding agency Conciliation Resources and brought together 22 delegates, including representatives from the indigenous people’s communities, civil society, and women’s organisations. The Good Friday Agreement reached by the UK government and the Irish Republic Army, fighting for Irish unification and an end to British rule on the island, is now 25 years old this year. During the trip, conversations were held with British and Irish politicians and former combatants, as well as other key figures in the Northern Ireland peace process. Topics discussed included disarmament, reconciliation, transitional justice, and the inclusion of women and minority communities in the generation of a peaceful future.